See you in the afterlife
by Mazz Ninja
Summary: The Curtis family break apart when Darry is charge with murder, but did he really do it? Soda and Pony dont have a guardian anymore so where will they go?
1. one

**Chapter 1:**

It was such an unpleasant day from the moment Ponyboy woke up that he knew something was bound to go wrong. He'd had one of his nightmares again, the ones that started coming after his parents passed away. He always woke up in a cold sweat and what made things worse was that he couldn't remember what he'd been dreaming about so he couldn't figure out how to stop them. 

On this particular day, he woke up gasping for breath as though someone had tried to suffocate him. He'd never had a dream or a feeling like this one before, like someone was sitting on his chest and he could get them off, he couldn't move at all. As soon as he opened his eyes and looked around, realising he was in fact safe in his room with Soda sleeping next to him, he went over to the opened window to breath in some fresh air. That's when he noticed the gloominess of the morning. There were dozens of grey clouds scattered around the sky threatening to come together and douse them all with rain. 

Ponyboy walked over to the bathroom to take a shower before his brothers woke up. It was a Saturday so he didn't have to worry about school but if it rained there wasn't much he could do but stay home and watch TV. 

When he got out of the bathroom, he found Darry laying on the couch, snoring as loud as ever. Pony walked over to him to get a closer look. He was fully clothed, dressed in the same clothes he was wearing the day before and even had his shoes on. He was clutching onto an empty bottle of vodka and there were cigarette butts all over the coffee table. It looked like Darry had come home late. That was unlike Darry. He never did anything unexpected like that. He never drank alcohol, not even on special occasions and he never smoked. 

Ponyboy didn't know what to do at this sight. It was the strangest thing he'd ever seen. He moved closer to Darry and shook his shoulder gently.

"Darry, Darry" he whispered.

Darry shot up in the air and frantically looked around the room. 

"Where am I?" he asked sleepily

"Your home. Are you ok?" Ponyboy said

"Shoot kid, I've got a massive headache" he jumped to his feet and stumbled over to the bathroom, just as Soda was about to go in, and locked the door.

Soda walked over to the living room

"What's up with him?" he asked Ponyboy

"He's got a hangover" Pony said holding up the empty vodka bottle.

Soda stared at it in shock for a full ten minutes before Darry came back out of the bathroom and threw himself on the couch again.

"Darry, are you ok?" Soda asked him.

But before Darry could answer they heard the distinct sound of police sirens getting louder and louder then a thumping on their door

"Open up it's the police!" screamed the person on the other side of the door.

Ponyboy rushed over and opened the door

"Is there a Darrel Curtis Jr living in this house" the officer said with great urgency.

"I'm Darrel Curtis Jr" Darry said pulling himself up off the couch, "what's all this about?"

"We have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Cindy Clark and Michael Stern"

The three brothers looked at each in complete shock.

"There must be some mistake" Soda said stepping in front of Darry

"That's him, cuff him" The officer instructed the others ignoring Soda's pleas.

They dragged Darry out to the police car. Ponyboy and Sodapop followed them outside. All the neighbours were out in their front yards trying to see what was going on. As they shoved Darry in the car, he called out "don't worry, this is all a mistake. I'll be back soon". 

The cars sped away leaving Ponyboy and Sodapop with no explanation and no indication of his return. 

* * *

Ponyboy and Sodapop stood in silence unable to move. They were staring at each other wide-eyed on the veranda were they last saw Darry. Darry, where was he now? Could he really have killed someone? Why was he acting so strange this morning- drinking and smoking? 

Ponyboy couldn't stop thinking. He wished he could turn his brain off but that was impossible.

"Do you think that maybe… " he began

"No, of course not" Sodapop said firmly , "don't even think like that Ponyboy!"

"Hey ya'll! What happened?" Two-Bit said walking up the front stairs of the Curtis house. Johnny and Steve were right behind him. They must've hard the sirens. 

"Are ya'll ok?" Johnny asked with concern.

"Darry's gone. The cops came and took him way. They said he killed Cindy and someone called Michael Stern" Ponyboy said.

"Are they crazy? Why would he kill his girlfriend?" Two-Bit yelled, "what's wrong with these people?"

"Don't worry'bout it Pony" Johnny said putting an arm around Ponyboy's shoulders, "they'll find out its all one big mistake and send him back"

"Hey, I hate to be the one to tell ya'll this but some guys down where the Shepard's hang said that she's been two-timing him for months" said Steve 

"Now how would they know that? Those boys love to talk about business that's not theirs. I don't believe word of it. Darry wouldn't kill anyone for any reason" Two-Bit retorted

"Come on, lets all go in the house now" Johnny said taking Ponyboy by the arm to lead him in the house. 

Just as they were all moving towards the door, a car pulled up outside the house. A man and a woman stepped out. The woman had brown curly hair ad green eyes and the man was tall and big. They were both dressed in black formal wear. Sodapop gasped when he saw them and Ponyboy moved closer to him. 

"Hi boys" the woman said, walking up the stairs. The man just stood at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Hi Mary" Ponyboy managed to say. She was the woman from child services that always came to check up on them.

"Boys, this is not like our usual meetings. You're going to have to come with me today" Mary said simply.

"No, we're waiting for Darry to come home" Soda snapped. He sounded confident but Ponyboy could tell he was close to tears. He knew his brother's voice so well that he could notice even the slightest change. 

"I'm sorry Sodapop," Mary said "but Darrel isn't coming home. He's been charged with murder" 

"No! That's not true!" Two-Bit shouted, "he didn't do it! We all know that!"

"There's nothing I can do about it" Mary said, "come on boys. Get your things. You're coming with me"

Two-Bit stood in front of Soda and yelled "he aint going anywhere!" 

"Oh yes they are" Mary said. She turned and gave a look to the man with her, who nodded and walked up the stairs and stood next to her. Soda and Pony were going whether they liked it or not. 

Soda tried pleading again but Pony saw that it was no use. They went inside and took as many things as they could fit in their bags. The didn't own much but they took photos of their parents, any clothes laying around and anything that belonged to Darry. When they went onto the veranda again, they realised they'd have to say goodbye to the gang. Soda couldn't hold back anymore. He burst out crying when Steve came to hug him goodbye. Loosing Darry and the gang was just too much to handle.

"Write to us, we'll come to you wherever you go" Two-Bit whispered to Ponyboy when he hugged him. He hugged Soda too, and as he did, he shoved his precious switchblade in Soda's hand and said, "I'll letting you borrow it but I want it back. You gotta come back and give it to me as soon as you can."

Ponyboy didn't open his mouth because he knew he'd started bawling as so as he did. Johnny was close to tears too. He couldn't imagine life without Ponyboy.

"Come on boys. It'll be ok" Mary said walking back to the car, "come on and get in" she said opening the back door. 

Ponyboy and Soda said their last goodbyes to their friends and their house and got in the car. The two brothers held onto each other tightly not knowing what's install for them next. 

"Don't worry boys," Mary said looking at them from the rear view mirror, "you're going to like your new home". 


	2. two

**A/N: Hey everyone. I didn't realise its been so long since I last updated. Thanx for reminding me Dan the ****Man.******

**I didn't get that many reviews, so I sorta forgot about it. So whoever reads this story, whatever you think of it, good or bad, please review. I like getting feedback. **

**Outiderslover-0408 and sodipop5- I'm so happy that the story had an effect on you, I almost cried writing it.**

**Sodapop02  and**** Daniel Austin- thanx for your reviews.**

**I'm going for a Shawshank Redemption/ white oleander/ The O.C kinda feel if that makes sense. Well enjoy:**

**Chapter 2:******

Soda and Pony had been sitting in Mary's office for at least an hour before any reasonable conclusion was decided on. One thing was clear to Mary. The boys didn't want to be separated under any circumstances.

"I'm sorry" she said, "but that's not up to me. If it were, things would be different but its not. No one will want to take in two grown teenagers"

Soda wouldn't accept this response. He didn't want to be separated from his brother, it was as simple as that. Deep down, he was scared beyond reason. The family was falling apart fast and there was nothing he could do about it. He was always the one that kept things together and now he was useless.

Mary had handled a lot of similar cases before but she didn't like where this one was going. She could easily find a home for Ponyboy because he was just 13, but Sodapop would be much harder to find a placement for. 

Mary finally signed and sat back in her chair. "The only thing I can do for you right now is put you in a temporary home for children. But that's all it is, temporary. You have to get used to the idea of being separated"

****

The Berkley Home for Children of Prisoners was a large building, larger than Soda had thought it would be. On entering, they were given a brief tour of the place. There were 9 large halls that contained 50 bunk beds, 5 halls for girls and 4 for the boys. Each child was placed in a hall according to their age group which meant Soda and Pony weren't going to be sleeping anywhere near each other. Soda went pale when he heard that piece of news but Pony just said "at least we're in the same building". They were given their class timetables. They would be attending 4 classes a day. Anyone who missed a class more than twice will be disciplined. There was one cafeteria hall, a small library and a gym. They were allowed to do anything in their free time except leave the premises.

They had arrived at night so they were sent straight to the sleeping halls. Soda was given the bottom of a bunk next to the window in the hall for 16-18 yr old boys. His roommates were all asleep when he walked in, but nonetheless they looked like a pack of troublemakers. He sat up on his new bed for a while trying not to cry, imagining his escape and return home until he feel asleep. 

Ponyboy was told to sleep on the bottom bunk in the middle of the hall. The boys around him were either reading a comic or playing cards using a torch for light. He laid awake for a while. He didn't even know what the time was. It was hard to accept that this would be his new home. His life changed in every way in a matter of just a day. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will be better. 


	3. three

**A/N: hey ppl! I know what you mean sheena. I wrote this story because I felt like being depressed and every time I write a chap I get teary. Thanks for ****ur**** review Tensleep! What do u mean by '****See ya in the funny papers!' **

**I'm glad you find it interesting Jewls5! thanx a lot! Keep reviewing and don't hesitate to email me if you have suggestions. (I have a clear idea of where this is going but suggestions always help)  k BYE!**

_Dear Soda and Ponyboy:_

_I'm sorry about the mess I've put ya'll through. I don't know where you are but my lawyer promised to pass this on to you. Where do I begin? Its all one big mistake but the odds are against me. I didn't do it, you know that right? You know me. I wouldn't hurt anyone like that. I was there. I found out that Cindy was two-timing me, Dally had warned me once about it, said he heard something about her with a Soc. I had a feeling that she was but I had to know for sure. That's why I went. I followed her to the hotel near the railway station and saw her go into a room. I waited for a while, about an hour, then I went up to the room. It's true- I had dad's gun with me but I wasn't going to use it. It didn't even have any bullets in. I don't know why I had it. I must've been out of my mind but I swear I didn't have any intention of using it. I just peeked through the window and saw them together. Now I wish I hadn't even looked because it hurt so much that I thought my heart would explode. Michael Stern was my friend in high school, I don't know, I thought I could kill him when I saw him but I didn't._

_I couldn't go home after that so I just went back to a liquor shop and got some drinks then went back to the hotel and just sat in the car waiting for her to come out. I didn't know what I was going to tell her when she came out. I just started drinking and drink, I couldn't stop. The next thing I remember is waking up on our couch and the police haling me in. I wish I could take it all back but I can't now, I've ruined everything and I'm sorry. Please write to me as soon as you get this, I've written the address on the back. _

_My trial is next Monday but my lawyer said to expect the worst. I'll write back and tell you how things are._

_Love always near and far_

_Your brother Darrel _


	4. four

**A/N: hey everyone. Sorry about the three months delay! Shoot, I didn't realise its been so long. I had exams then I went on holidays and now I'm back at uni again but I'm going to try to make regular weekly updates ok! I'm glad ya'll like it though.**

_Dear Darry:_

_I'm sorry I didn't write to you sooner. We got your letter yesterday but it was dated 3 weeks ago. Of course we believe you. How could you think we wouldn't? We're both fine. Soda doesn't feel like writing so he told me to send you his love. _

_We wanted to come and see you but we won't be able to for another week at least. They have a bus that takes everyone to the prisons to visit their relatives here but we missed the last one. _

_I've already got a lot of assignments to do for my classes. It's good because it keeps my mind off reality. I really miss you Darry and so does Soda. _

_Write to us soon._

_Ponyboy___

Darrel put down the letter and leaned back against the wall. He was sitting on his bed; it was already passed lights out but he couldn't sleep. The only light left on was the one in the hallway which made his eyes hurt.

He'd already read the letter from Ponyboy 5 times but every time he read it, he grew more certain that there was something wrong. Sure, Ponyboy said that they're both fine; it was what he wasn't saying that worried Darrel. There was no way Soda would pass off a chance to write to him.

_Maybe he's mad at me_, Darrel thought.

But that would be out of character for Soda as well. and Ponyboy didn't really say much about the home, he only referred to it as 'here'.

Darrel put his head down on his worn out pillow. He couldn't find out the truth about his brothers. How could he? He had enough to worry about. Prison life wasn't exactly a picnic. Lucky he know how to use his head but sometimes that wasn't enough, he'd have to make alliances too.

The first time he got attacked, in the showers, he realised this. It wasn't about being tough; being surrounded by ten big angry guys with switchblades could make anyone drop to their knees. It was all about who you know- problem was- he didn't know anyone.


	5. five

_Dear Johnny,_

_I know I promised to write to you sooner but I got busy. After a month and bit in this place, I'm finally getting used to it. My teachers are ok. I'm going well in my classes but I don't have many friends and I ain't exactly popular here. I just spend most of my time in the library reading books. I just started 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. It's really good, you should read it. _

_I met this strange new girl in my English class. She looks about 13-14 but she's always got a strange, serious look on her face- she even looks strange. She had long white blonde hair and light brown eyes and pale skin. She came only a week ago and she sat next to me in my English class. I usually sit alone, as I said, I aint popular but I didn't mind her next to me. I thought I might be nice to her since she was new and everything so I said, "hi. My name's Ponyboy". She just stared at me as if I was speaking Chinese and didn't say a word. I didn't get offended, I mean, I don't much feel like talking to people sometimes too especially strangers. Anyway, I'm worried about Soda. He's not himself anymore. He's changed so much, I hardly recognise him from the way he acts. He doesn't eat or sleep or anything, only when I force him. He just sits with me in the library all day, while I read my books, staring at the wall and not talking. I think he's taking whats happening to Darry really bad. Darry's lawyer called us and told us that we might have to stand as witnesses for the trial. I said 'yes' of course but Darry doesn't want us to do it even though his lawyer thinks its a good idea. I don't know what he's afraid of._

_You know, the other day, this girl came around to Soda while we were in the cafeteria and started flirting with him and trying to come onto him. He just sat there smiling at her but not saying anything like he was watching it happen to someone else. Then her boyfriend happens to walk by and sees them there so he goes crazy and starts picking a fight with Soda. Soda just sat there. He didn't even try to defend himself when the guy was punching him. It's like he wanted to get hurt. I don't understand it. He wont talk to me about anything. Just today Mary, the social worker, came here to talk to us about finding a proper home for each of us. Soda just went white and didn't say a word. Mary said there was a couple interested in maybe having a 13 year old so I might meet them tomorrow. I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave Soda, but I don't have much of a choice. _

_Tell two-bit that I heard about how he came to the home and threatened the guard so he could come in and see us. We're not allowed to have visitors, just like a prison. This place is no different from a prison. _

_Your friend _

_Ponyboy_


End file.
